Dedicated to every Norwich City
Player since 1980

Wes Hoolahan

Norwich
Career:

2008-18
(352 appearances, 54 goals)

Current
Club:

West Bromwich Albion

Date
of Birth:

20/05/1982
(Dublin)

Nationality:

Irish

Biography

Republic of Ireland
international winger Wes Hoolahan became Glenn
Roeder's second signing of the 2008 pre-season when he transferred
from Blackpool to Norwich on 26th June 2008, on a three year deal.
Norwich had activated a get--out clause in Hoolahan's contract
to sign him for £250,000. Norwich reserve team keeper, Matthew
Gilks, moved in the opposite direction along with an undisclosed
amount of money.

Hoolahan started his career at Shelbourne where he won three
League of Ireland championships and excelled during their run
in the Champions League qualifiers in the 2004-05 season. He was
the PFAI Young Player of the Year in the 2002-03 season. He joined
Scottish side Livingston but in July 2006, Hoolahan joined Blackpool
on a season-long loan. This became a permanent transfer the following
summer although Livingston denied agreeing to the deal and the
transfer had to be approved by FIFA

Many Championship clubs invluding QPR and Charlton were linked
with Hoolahan during the 2007/8 season but Norwich secured the
deal seeking a replacement for Darren Huckerby.

Hoolahan, who had been capped at Under-21 level for Ireland,
made his full international debut as a second half substitute
in the 10 win over Colombia in May 2008

Following Norwich's relegation at the end of the 2008/9 season,
Was was linked with a move to Crystal Palace. He remained at Carrow
Road, and played an integral role in the Championship title win
scoring 14 goals in 42 appearances.

On 8th January 2011, Hoolahan signed a new contract with City
that would keep him at the club until 2014. In April 2011, he
was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

Norwich won a second promotion, moving up to the Premiership,
on 2nd May 2011 with a 1-0 win at Portsmouth with Wes playing
a key role (44 appearances, 10 goals) in the Canaries' promotion
challenge.

Hoolahan scored Norwich's first goal in the 2011/12 Premier League
campaign, equalising to give Norwich a 1-1 draw at Wigan on 13th
August 2011. Impressive form in Norwich's opening start to the
2011/12 premier League season saw Hoolahan linked with a recall
to the Irish squad, with Irish coach Marco Tardelli revealing
that that Norwich City trio Wes Hoolahan, Anthony
Pilkington and Marc Tierney are
firmly on his international radar ahead of the Euro 2012 finals.
The former World Cup winner, who was at Carrow Road to see the
Canaries take on Arsenal, admitted he and Ireland manager Giovanni
Trapattoni were weighing up all their options with regards to
their final 23-man Euro2012 squad.

At the end of February 2012, Wes was voted into Norwich City's
Hall of Fame

Hoolahan finished the 2011/12 season with 37 appearances and
five goals as Norwich finished 12th in the Premier League.

Wes was recalled to the Ireland squad in August 2012 but had
to withdraw through injury.

In December 2012, Wes signed an improved contract which would
keep him at Norwich until June 2015.

Hoolahan scored his first goal for Ireland on 6th February 2012
in a 2-0 win over Poland, scoring in the 76th minute after coming
on as substitute for Shane Long on 62 minutes.

In January 2014, Wes was the subject of media speculation that
former Norwich manage Paul Lambert had
made a £750,000 bid for him to join Aston Villa and that
Wes had submitted a transfer request. This was denied by the club.
Hoolahan submitted a formal transfer request on 21st January 2014.
City released a brief statement on Tuesday evening confirming
the 31-year-old Irish internationals wishes, while at the
same time reiterating their belief that Hoolahan will be going
nowhere during the January transfer window. But Hoolahan issued
his own statement shortly after, acknowledging his desire to leave
the Canaries following more than five and a half years at the
club.

Following a meeting with chief executive (David
McNally), I felt I had no option but to hand in a transfer
request, said Hoolahan. I have noted that request
has been turned down. However, I believe it is in the best interest
of Norwich, for whom I have the greatest respect, and myself that
I am allowed to move on and play my football elsewhere.

Aston Villa subsequently made a second bid which the Canaries
rejected whilst it was reported on 31st January 2014 that West
Brom had made an approach to take Hoolahan on loan until the end
of the 2013/14 season. Newcastle were also reported to be interested.

He made 18 appearances, scoring once in the 2013/14 season in
which Norwich were relegated from the Premier League. At the end
of the season, he submitted another transfer request. Hoolahan
eventually signed a new contract in August 2014 prior to the start
of the new season.

On Transfer Deadline Day (2nd February 2015), Hoolahan was strongly
linked with a move to Celtic but it did not materialise.

In an interview with the Irish Independent at the end of March
2015, Hoolahan revealed that he had trialed with Ipswich, Sunderland,
Leicester and Millwall before joining Livingston.

On 20th April 2015, Hoolahan was named in the Football League
Team of the Decade at their tenth Football League Annual Awards
ceremony.

Hoolahan made 40 appearances in 2014/15 including playing in
the 2-0 Championship Play-off final victory over Middlesbrough
on 25th May 2015. He scored five goals including a penalty against
Ipswich in the play-off semi finals.

Hoolahan was part of the Ireland squad that qualified for the Euro 2016 finals in November 2015.

Hoolahan made 30 appearances for City in 2015/16, scoring four goals, as the Canaries were relegated from the Premier League. On 31st May 2016, he was selected for the Irish squad who would completed in the European Championship in France in June/July 2016.

On 10th June 2016, Norwich announched that Wes had signed a contract extension until 2017. Three days later, he scored Ireland's opening goal in the European Championships in a game that finished 1-1 with Sweden.

Wes made 33 appearances in 2016/17 (scoring seven goals) and taking him to over 300 appearances for the club

Hoolahan played in the 5-1 defeat to Denmark on 14th November 2017 in a World Cup play-off qualifier which ended Irish hopes of reaching Russia 2018. Hoolahan came on at half-time to win his 42nd cap. In February 2018, he announced his international retirement.

Norwich announced at the end of April 2018 that they would not be renewing Wes' contract. His final and 352nd game for Norwich was the 2-1 home win against Leeds on 28th April 2018 in which Wes scored City's first goal and set up Josh Murphy for the winner. Former colleagues gave the following testimonials:

Russell Martin:“A true legend and one of the best ever to wear the shirt for @norwichcityfc. An absolute honour and a pleasure to play alongside the little magician for so long. Some footballer. Some man."Grant Holt: "“Little Wessi is leaving Norwich, the greatest player Norwich have had in my opinion.10 derby days and no defeats, top that.”Elliott Bennett: “I’m sure Wessi will get the send off he deservesGreat man, humble and what a player. Pleasure to have shared a dressing room with him.” Nathan Redmond: “What an honour it was to watch, learn and play with you my friend. The legend, the magician, the GOAT! All the best on your next venture from a massive 10 years served @NorwichCityFC! #Wessi #LivingLegend.”Darren Huckerby: "Will rightly be remembered as a all time #Ncfc great"

On 14th September 2018, Hoolahan signed for West Bromwich Albion on a short-term deal. Four days later Hoolahan made his Albion debut in a 4–2 win against Bristol City as a 74th minute substitute.